GHOST AND MRS MUIR THE CAPTAIN ARRIVES IN THE 1960'S
by susan cousineau
Summary: This is a continuation of the story of Captain Gregg and Mrs. Muir once they arrive in our time.
Carolyn Muir looked up at the Captain with a smile. He looked pleasantly amused as he saw Gull Cottage from her time for the first time ever. The house looked as it had in his day, however things looked different in many ways.

Captain Gregg took a deep breath and walked to the broken gate and up the walkway to the house. His friends smiled at him with encouragement and was just getting ready to open the door for his lady friend Mrs. Muir when the door was opened by a lady who appeared to be in her fifties and was wearing a very short dress.

Martha Grant looked at the handsome man in front of her and welcomed him into her home. Mrs. Muir introduced him as Captain Gregg, a friend she had met just recently in town. He appeared to be about six feet tall one hundred and eighty pounds with a beard and salt and pepper hair. 'Am I imagining it or have I seen that face before?' she thought to herself.

Carolyn Muir looked around the foyer and the living room and then into the kitchen. The living room had been painted a pale yellow and she saw that the couch and chairs had a floral design. This was not as the house had looked when she had left for the time travel to save the Captain's life. 'We were warned. There might be some differences, but she lived there with Martha that was good anyways' she thought to herself.

Sam her friend closed the door to the parlor and cleared her throat. "There are many things that I can do for you to help you simulate yourself into this time, but there will be a few problems. First I can make you a birth certificate and give you a social security number. I also can set you up with a bank account and a work history if you like."

"What on earth is a social security number? And how praytell are you going to set me up with a bank account?" Captain Gregg asked.

"In this time we are tracked by the government by a service called the social security system through them you get a pension for you when you get older. You should have a sizable bank account as a retired seaman captain also." Sam offered. "The best thing is to keep it as close to the truth as possible. What town were you born in please, and the date also?"

"I was born in Ireland on the eighth of April 1824." the captain told her.

"That is easy I will issue you a birth certificate with a naturalization card so that you have the right to live and work here. I will list you as coming to the United States as a young man of sixteen. How does that sound?" Sam asked him.

It is a good way to list these things because I did come to the United States when I was sixteen for the first time. That is the first time that I came to Schooner Bay Maine. It was a beautiful little town and at that point I decided to make this my home." the captain offered.

With a wiggle of her nose Sam took care of all the things necessary for the captain to simulate himself into the twentieth century. There would be a lot to learn but she could help him set things up. It would be as it had been in the nineteenth century, he would arrive here a retired sea captain and things would go from there. Sam set the captain up with a balance of one hundred thousand dollars that would be transfered on paper to a bank account in his name from an account in New York.

Carolyn couldn't stop looking at the mantle above the fireplace wondering what had happened to the portrait of the captain. It was gone much to her dismay, but the monkey puzzle tree was still there. 'Things sure are different now.' she thought to herself.

Just then the school bus pulled up and Candy and Jonathan got off. They looked the same and came running in as they always had. "Captain Gregg, what are you doing here?" Jonathan asked curiously. "I haven't seen you since the day that we moved in."

"Oh Jonathan I told you that he was just a part of your imagination. There was no Captain Gregg. You just saw his portrait over the mantle." Candy scolded.

"Well, I have a pleasant surprise for you, this is Captain Gregg a friend of the Stevens." Carolyn offered them.

"Hello, I am pleased to meet you." Candy offered.

"I am glad to meet you too." Jonathan said with a hint of disappointment on his face and in his voice.

"Why don't I go up with you to your rooms and help you with some of your homework?" Carolyn offered.

"Mom, we just got home. Ok ok we'll go upstairs." Candy and Jonathan told her somewhat dejectfully.

As she came to the top of the stairs Carolyn looked around things looked the same, she hoped that there wouldn't be that much difference. Candy went into her room and Carolyn was pleased to see that she was going into the same room that she had had before. Carolyn was surprised when she saw but one bed and was wondering what room Jonathan now had.

She looked down the hall and saw Jonathan going into what used to be the guest room. Carolyn excused herself and went to Jonathan. His room looked different as it was set up for a young boy, but it was much as it once was before she had gone back in time.

She turned and smiled at the two children and told them not to mind go ahead out and play. She wanted to go to her room and see what she would find. After the childlren had gone downstairs Carolyn looked over at the door to what had once been her and the captain's room. She turned the knob and opened the door. The room had been painted a pink color but the rest of the room looked the same and the telescope was still standing on the balcony.

Carolyn looked in the closet and was pleased to find that her clothes were the same, but 'where was her typewriter? Where was her desk?' She had so many questions, 'who could she ask?'.

"Mrs. Muir, are you going to go to work tomorrow? The newspaper called and wanted to know if you would be in or not." Martha asked . The Schooner Bay Beacon would never be the same without you working as it's publisher."

'I'm the publisher of the Schooner Bay Beacon?; she thought to herself.' she had to laugh at that prospect thinking of how the paper had been run before she had gone back in time. Perhaps that would be a good reason for her to go into town and do some snooping. She needed to look into the changes that had occured around town.

When she went into the living room she was pleased to see how everyone wanted to be of assistance to her. "We will be glad to go to town and get a hotel room." that will be a good start Darren offered.

"I will take you to town I need to do a little sleuth work and see how things have changed. I am afraid that Captain Gregg will need a room there until we can finish up with what we need to do. Mrs. Muir offered.

The four time travelers went into town with some curiosity. As she turned the corner she was pleased to see Claymore's office and the other stores that she had come to know and love. The town looked as it had before.

The three friends went into the Schooner Bay Hotel and Mrs. Muir headed to Claymore's office. She opened the door and almost didn't recognize the man at the desk. He was Claymore with no glasses and a toupee. He was dressed in in a nice tweed suit and to be truthful was quite handsome.

"Carolyn. What a pleasure. I didn't think that you would be into town today. The last time we spoke you told me that you would be gone until the end of the week." he told her with a handshake and he offered her a chair.

Carolyn was in a fix. Things certainly had changed around this office. Everything was modern and outside Claymore's old car had been replaced by a mustang convertible. "I got back a little early and am on my way over to the newpaper office." she offered.

"Mark has been going crazy without anyone at the paper to help him. That young bufoon couldn't write an editorial if he had it written out for himself. The paper is just not the same without you there to oversee it." Claymore told her.

"Why thank you Claymore." Carolyn offered. Just then the door to the office and Captain Gregg walked in the door. Mrs. Muir was wondering if Claymore would recognize him but he showed no signs of recognition.

After all of the introductions were completed, Claymore was very friendly and welcoming. "I am always pleased to meet a relative of mine. No matter how distant a relationship they are."

"I am here to settle and make a home for myself. Schooner Bay seems like a good place to make a home. It is pleasant enough and the sea will always be my calling." Captain Gregg offered.

"Will you be looking for a house? I have several lovely cottages available if you are interested." Claymore offered.

"I have not thought about that as of yet. If I am in need of your services you will be the first person that I call." Captain Gregg offered.

"Have you seen Gull Cottage? It belonged to me before I sold it to Mrs. Muir. It was a rustic old Seaman's cottage that had been abandoned for many years. She has made it into a beautiful home for her and her children." Claymore told him.

"As I said before if that is my wish I will let you know." the captain said with a smile. With that Captain Gregg and Carolyn walked out the door.

Carolyn started toward her car and the captain hesitated, it was a strange noisy thing that ran under it's own power with no horses to pull it. 'Never mind there being no candles in any of the rooms, they now turned things on by something called electricity they now had cars that needed no horses, the stove needed no wood, what a world. And the way the women dresssed, why their dresses went all the way to their knees and some of the younger women, their dresses went right up to their well. Then some of the women were wearing pants even into town. What a world' the captain thought to himself.

'  
'This is a strange world, yes indeed' . She was happy to see Darren and Samantha coming accross the street towards them.

"We will be staying overnight at the hotel and then be on our way in the morning. Our car is ready so we need to be on our way. I will leave you our phone number if you need anything." Darren offered.

"How can I thank you for what you have done for the captain and me? You have fulfilled my wildest dream and I promise that we will make the best of the second chance."

Carolyn was glad that Martha had made a large enough dinner so that the Captain could eat with them. He had never been able to enjoy dinners with them before and it was wonderful to have him there at the table.

That night the captain and Carolyn took a walk on the beach. For the first time they could walk holding hands and enjoying each other's company. "Oh Daniel, this is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Mrs. Muir offered.

Captain Gregg took Carolyn in his arms and kissed her thoroghly. The kiss was passionate but kind and the thrill that ran through her very soul was undescribable. She could have stayed in this man's arms forever. They did belong together this time or one hundred years before. Carolyn knew that from that moment on.  
Captain Gregg looked down at the woman he had fallen in love. Yes this time was very different from his time, but love knew no time. He held her in his arms until they both started walking back to Gull Cottage, it was after eight and they needed to get in.

When they arrived inside the children were busy doing their homework and Martha was busy in the kitchen. "Hey mom. You have a nice walk?" Candy asked with a smile.

Jonathan jumped up and ran over giving her a hug. "Captain Gregg do you ever go out to sea anymore?" he asked.

"Why yes Jonathan once I am settled down here I will purchase a ship and you and I will go sailing." Captain Gregg said with a smile. "As a matter of fact we will all go sailing one day I promise."

Captain Gregg and Carolyn took the children upstairs to their bedrooms, he was thrilled to be able to put the children to sleep . They were well behaved and went right to bed for their mother and the captain.

Martha went to her room {fortunately she was using the same room that she had always used) and left the captain and Carolyn to themselves. Once they had a seat, the captain put his arms around Carolyn and gave her another long kiss. "This is a different world and will take some getting used to. Tomorrow morning I will take the paper that Sam gave me and open my bank account. There will be enough money for me to live quite well and purchase a ship for lobstering as I had planned to do in the past."

"That sounds good to me. Ships have changed some since your day but we do have some that resemble the schooner that you are used to sailing in. If you wish I will be happy to go with you." she offered.

The next morning once the children had left for school Carolyn got into her car and met the captain at the lobby of the hotel. They went together to the bank and with the help of Carolyn they were able to set up the new account and the captain was now a member of the modern Schooner Bay community.

The captain and Carolyn parted for the day as Carolyn went to the ofice to work. She found the Schooner Bay Beacon a disaster. The desk was piled with papers and Mark looked as if he was going to start crying.

"Mrs. Muir I am so sorry running the Beacon by myself was much more work than I thought. Even with my wife to help me, we ran behind. The place is a mess." Mark told her.

"It's ok Mark. I will take care of things." Mrs. Muir offered. She started at the top of the pile and worked until 12:30 . She was very pleased to see the captain come in. It was time to take a much needed break. They went out for a shore lunch and promised to meet when work would be through.

Everyday Captain Gregg learned something different and by Friday night he decided that it was time that he learn to drive the contraption called a car. Carolyn had agreed to teach him and he was nervious 'a woman teaching a man, was that possible?' he smiled at her as he got behind the wheel, 'yep I guess so' he thought.

To say that the Captain driving was like a fish out of water was a mild statement. He nearly put her through the windshield when he hit the brakes and managed to stall the automatic transmission three times before that bucked their way into town. He was embarassed but needed to assimulate himself into her time and a car was a necessity. The captain couldn't help but wonder how different it would be to go to sea. 'perhaps I should start off by getting a job on one of the many fishing boats' he thought to himself.

Captain Gregg walked into the bank and had the teller check his balance. Yes the money had been placed in his account. He was now financially sound and now he could consider marrying Mrs. Carolyn Muir the woman who had come into his world one hundred years ago.

Captain Gregg walked over to one of the lobster boats and spoke to the man that was in charge. After just a short talk he had obviously convinced the other seaman that he was well trained and could make a good hand on his ship. Captain Gregg smiled to himself 'now I have a job as well.'

Carolyn looked up from her desk to see the captain walking into her office. "Hello Mrs. Muir I am here to give you a ride home." as he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

'Oh no.' she thought to herself. She guessed that the captain would like to drive home. Although, his driving was getting better the ride would be scary just the same. She bit her lip and got into the passenger seat.

After they had put the children to bed the captain and Carolyn went into the living room. It was there that the captain got down on his knees. "Carolyn, I know that time holds no feelings and that my love is forever and for all time. I wish to become a part of your family and become your husband. Will you marry me?"

Carolyn looked up at the handsome captain and smiled. "I will marry you and spend the rest of my days trying to make your life as wonderful and as happy as anyone can make you. I will love you forever and always."

Captain Gregg took a ring out of his pocket and placed it on her finger and kissed it softly. What a wonderful feeling her hand in his he could not wait for the wedding.

It was decided that they would marry in two weeks. That would give everyone a chance to come to terms with the marriage and for Carolyn's parents and in laws to meet the captain. The captain was very delightful and won over all of her family and her inlaws. They would all attend the wedding.

The captain had asked Darren to be his best man and Candy and Jonathan would be the bridesmaid and best man. Martha would be Carolyn's maid of honor. Sam was honored to take charge of the guest book and so it was planned. The wedding would take place on the front lawn of Gull Cottage.

Carolyn's mother and mother in law took great pride in setting up the wedding itself and it was a beautfiful scene. They set up the wedding time to conincide with high tide so that as they exchanged their vows the sound of the waves would be clear.

"I Daniel Gregg do take thee Carolyn to be my beloved wife throughout all time and throughout all of my life."

"I Carolyn honor cherish and promise that time will be spent well with my new life and family. I will always cherish what time we will have together" and with that they were now Captain Daniel and Carolyn Muir.


End file.
